OPELIKA, Ala. â€” Hailing from Shalimar,
Fla., Matthew Krembel shot a final-round 74 to lead him to a two-shot
victory over first-round co-leader Jeffrey Osborne of Dallas. The Girls
Division was too close to crown one winner, as Jessy Tang of Orlando,
Fla., and Mitsuki Katahira of Hilton Head Island, S.C., shared medalist
honors with two-day tournament totals of 149.

Conducted by the American Junior Golf Association, the Medicus
Preseason Junior at RTJ Grand National was held at RTJ Grand National
Golf Course in Opelika, Ala. Part of the Medicus Preseason/Postseason
Junior Series, the tournament was a 36-hole stroke play event and
consisted of 48 boys and 36 girls, ages 12-18, from 21 states and
Canada. The par-72 golf course played at 6,869 yards for the boys and
5,817 yards for the girls.

Aided by a great save from the fairway bunker on No. 18,
Krembel found himself atop the leaderboard. Krembel birdied the par-3,
Nos. 3 and 15 to fuel his performance throughout the final round.

â€śWhen I hit that shot out of the bunker on No. 18, I thought I
was only up by one,â€ť said Krembel. â€śIt turned out that I was up by
two.â€ť

Osborne's final round mix of birdies and bogeys eventually
took him out of contention. His 5-over-par 77 brought his tournament
total to 7-over-par 151.

Rounding out the top five in the Boys Division were Chris
Burke of Jacksonville, Fla., and Bryce McCarthy of Fort Worth, Texas,
tied for third with tournament totals of 154. Shay Womack, Jr. of
Marietta, Ga., finished alone in fifth with a 156.

Katahira and Tang battled to the finish to share medalist
honors. The roller coaster day made for an exciting final round as the
two traded shots all day. Both girls finished the event with 5-over-par
149s.

â€śAs a whole, I'm glad I came,â€ť said Katahira. â€śI plan to visit
my home in Japan during the summer and play more when I come back.â€ť

Tang was just as excited about her first AJGA experience.

â€śThis is my first AJGA tournament,â€ť said Tang. â€śIt's exciting.
I've never won before, especially not a prestigious tournament like
this.â€ť

Rounding out the top three in the Girls Division was Hannah Weathersby of Belvidere, Tenn., with a tournament total of 151.

The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
organization dedicated to the overall growth and development of young
men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through
competitive junior golf. The AJGA, the largest Association of its kind,
has an annual junior membership (boys and girls, ages 12-18) of
approximately 5,000 junior golfers from 50 states and 30 foreign
countries.

The Medicus Preseason/Postseason Series is designed for new
AJGA members or members who have yet to play in an AJGA event. The
series provides an opportunity for members to gain status in
Performance Based Entry, which in turn will increase their ability to
play in future AJGA events.

Titleist, the AJGA's National Sponsor, has been the catalyst
and driving force behind the Association's success since 1989. Rolex
Watch USA, which is in its third decade of support, became the
inaugural AJGA Premier Partner in 2004.

AJGA alumni have risen to the top of amateur, collegiate and
professional golf. More than 160 former AJGA juniors currently play in
the PGA and LPGA Tours and have compiled more than 300 wins. AJGA
alumni include Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods, Davis Love III, Mike Weir,
Charles Howell III, Jim Furyk, Grace Park, Cristie Kerr, Paula Creamer
and Morgan Pressel.

For more information on the Medicus Preseason Junior at RTJ
Grand National, please contact AJGA National Headquarters at (770)
868-4200.

The American Junior Golf Foundation is the primary recipient of all charitable giving to the AJGA and as such administers a variety of programs designed to compliment the AJGA and the members and families who make up our community. Learn more about these important programs and how your contributions to the Foundation secure the AJGA’s financial future for future generations to come.

The Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant program provides financial assistance to junior golfers who wish to play in AJGA events. Its goal is to give top-flight golf opportunities to young golfers regardless of financial resources. This program helps to fulfill the AJGA’s mission of developing young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf.

Leadership Links

What is Leadership Links?

Leadership Links is a new program whereby the AJGA is able to further its mission to help develop young men and women by teaching charitable giving skills and service-oriented practices at an early age. This program gives juniors all the tools necessary to donate their time, talent and resources to local charities and the AJGA youth development programs. Please click here to learn more about the program and the different opportunities available.

The American Junior Golf Association is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to the overall growth and
development of young men and women who aspire to earn college golf scholarships through competitive junior golf.